Beyond the Darkness
by fascimility
Summary: HikaAki. A one-shot fic on the time Touya goes to Ochi's house to ask him to replay the match between him and Shindou. Bot anything graphic, just very hinty, hence the rating. Hope you'll enjoy it! :) Please RXR! .


Disclaimer: I don't own Hikago, never did and never will. ;)  
  
Author's Notes: Here's a really crappy one-shot fic, which means I did it in a total of one and a half hours without any previous thought. Therefore it has no coherent storyline and lousy language. I am putting faith in my computer's spelling and grammar check. *prays*  
  
Umm.. And I just realised I didn't make the setting and characters clear so I'll explain now. This is a re-take from chapter 96 in the manga, when Touya goes to Ochi's house to ask him to replay the game that he lost to Shindou. Yes, it's just another figment of my fan-girlish imagination, so please bear with me.. I'm not very good yet, but I'm trying to improve!  
  
Thanks to Atarii, Yui-mag, Ye Shiya, and Go Angel and all those other people that helped me! You're words provided a lot of inspiration for me. :) I'm sorry if this isn't good enough, please forgive me, ok?  
  
Please read and review! ^.^ Flames are welcome, they help me improve. To all readers, thanks for reading!  
  
*******************~Beyond~**************************  
  
I stop, mid-step, hand clutching the umbrella. Rain pours in torrents, mercilessly pummeling the ground with its incessant torrent. Darkness has already settled, sweeping over the ruby sky as an ebony cloud.  
  
I stand in front of the Go Institute, gazing into the impenetrable night, watching the crystal droplets increase in intensity, each one a shimmering pearl in the light. I draw my eyes away from the rhythmic falling, gripping my umbrella as I brace myself.  
  
Then I step away from the shelter of the building, plunging headlong into the impenetrable blackness that lies beyond.  
  
*~*  
  
Murky water splashes around my feet, seeping through my coat, enveloping me in its chilly embrace. I look up, seeing the house looming before me, weak shafts of light piercing the drawn curtains.  
  
I hesitate, unsure of the outcome of this meeting, unsure of what I was to know. It thrills me, making every fibre in my frame quiver with anticipation. Yet it terrifies me, it frightens me to think of what I am to gain.  
  
Florescent lights beat down, illuminating me, making my skin even paler in its harsh glare. The house stands haughty and unmoving, unrelenting against the gruelling rain. I know I should not be here, that I have no business to seek what I desire.  
  
Yet I am possessed to do it. It is the same for Go; when one sets upon a target, one must set all one's energy in achieving this goal, regardless of distractions, regardless of one's fear. It is the same.  
  
Then why, why am I trembling? What is this unknown feeling that is pervading my consciousness, seeking for recognition even as I struggle to drown it? Why cannot I continue my path as before, without any other thought, without having to look back to trace the progress of a rival?  
  
*~*  
  
I press the bell, hearing it's mellifluous sound echoing round the house. Shadows seem to flicker past one of the windows, a fleeting phantom of my imagination. And so I wait.  
  
There is a prolonged pause, one pregnant with expectancy and anticipation. When one aims for a target at the peak of a soaring mountain, one invariably falls to the gaping ravine below. That is the truth. That is why one cannot afford to fail.  
  
I can feel the tension building, like a tightly-wound spring ready to snap. It is not only me. The tension is emanating from the building itself, anger rising as a dense haze. I can feel my face muscles contracting, drawing my features into a frown. My eyes are boring into the door now, willing with all my might that the door will open. Willing that with that opening, the secret that lies concealed will reveal itself.  
  
I wait, body shuddering slightly as my fear and anticipation grows. Knowing the outcome without the process is nothing. Yet I know that prying the outcome from the defeated loser is not pleasant, yet seeking the result from the winner will be excruciating.  
  
The intercom sounds, the disembodied voice at the other end hesitatingly uttering a greeting. I pause. This is new.. I am not allowed entrance.  
  
"I am Touya Akira," The words come out as an unsure phrase, my eyes frantically scanning the door for any sign of movement. Behind me, the rain now pounds erratically upon the pavement, splashing at my heels like an eager dog.  
  
Ochi. The rain falls in sheets, a formidable wall behind me. I have no place to go now. The door before me will not open, the cascading waterfall behind me will not recede.  
  
Then I ask the question that has been boiling within me, eating me from the inside as it struggles to escape through my mouth. My mind is in a tumult, lips clumsy as excitement sweeps through my body. It rages through me, tearing through my veins in a white-hot surge of molten lava.  
  
I want Ochi to show me his defeat. And Shindou's victory.  
  
I wait for an answer, the seconds ticking by as the wretched intercom makes no sound. I grow more anxious, anticipation mounting and skyrocketing crazily till it reaches the limit of my self-control.  
  
The wretched machine remains silent, staring back at me with contempt. Then the reply comes, every word as harsh as granite as it cuts deep into me. The words pierce me, slashing me to shreds with each syllable. My eyes widen, beads of perspiration forming on my brow as the voice drones on.  
  
I grip the wall for support, leaning against it and putting the weight on my umbrella as the impact of those words hit me full in the face even before I register them. I tilt my head forward, hair forming a barrier between myself and the outside world.  
  
I am shocked, stunned and surprised. But that quickly turns into a smouldering anger that stokes the flame of my burning passion. I clench my hand, knuckles turning an ash white in my deathly grip. Every muscle in my body contracts to a painful spasm, taut and tense. Why?! Shindou HIkaru!! Answer me!  
  
My lips draw into a hard line, anger overtaking me in unstoppable torrents. My eternal hunger remains unsatisfied, insatiate, leaving a bitter aftertaste lingering on my tongue. I have yet to quench my burning desire for the truth, my sole desire for coming here left unfilled.  
  
I turn my on my heels, making a swift a departure as I had come. My shoes clattering on the stone floor, their shiny leather marred by the rain. My heart throbs with a persistent ache, burning with a pain that comes with irreparable loss. It literally burned. I lost you.  
  
Perhaps I just lost to you. I don't know, it could be either, but the emptiness stands out prominent all the same. The rain surrounds me, its falling grating on my ears. The freezing wind is billowing past, whipping by in a raging tornado. The rain obscures the scenery, a misty blanket.  
  
Something rips open that hazy mantle, a drenched figure bursting through with alarming speed and rapidity. I stare, unabashed as a puffing figure stands triumphant before me, a smile on its face. It shirt is dripping, water flowing in streams of its face.  
  
"You came for me," We both say, simultaneously, an identical reaction  
  
Shinou Hikaru. Emerald eyes stare back at me, playful and intense, glistening orbs resplendent in their power. My breathing becomes erratic, becoming sharp and irregular. I try to inhale deep breaths to calm myself down, trying to avert my eyes to keep them from being mesmerised in your own. They suck me into them like a swirling vortex, fiery, unrelenting.  
  
My breath catches in my throat, choking me as my mind struggles to keep up. The umbrella clatters to the floor as you swoop forward to catch me in a tight embrace. I am engulfed in your mouth, my anxiety forgotten as I lean forward. Your dripping clothes pressed again my dry ones, our limbs entwined. I lean back against the wall, savouring every moment, body rendered powerless under your ministrations.  
  
My hair framing my face, skin sheer with sweat and rain, my coat damp. My hands tremble slightly, resting against the unruly mop of hair. Rivulets of tears roll down my cheeks, mingling with yours as I smile in the darkness.  
  
The silence lies unbroken, save for the gentle falling of the rain.  
  
*~*Owari*~*  
  
P.S. Thanks for sticking all the way through! Review! *bounces up and down* 


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